


Partners

by elizabeth_rice



Category: Hellboy (Movies)
Genre: Canon - Movie, Challenge Response, Future Fic, Post-Canon, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-15
Updated: 2014-08-15
Packaged: 2018-02-13 05:32:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2138844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elizabeth_rice/pseuds/elizabeth_rice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The team run into a chimera problem and Red is going to have to learn to work with John.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Partners

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wallflowering](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wallflowering/gifts).



> Well, my recipient didn't seem to have any specific requests. I decided to play it safe and wrote a pre-relationship casefic (of sorts). In the movie, I didn't like that Liz was in a mental institute where she was apparently learning control. So in this fic Liz leaves again but this time she's goes to a dojo in Japan (a contact of Bruttenholm's), where she's now properly learning about her powers and how to wield them. I haven't seen part 2 so I'm disregarding the events of that movie.

"You!" Manning stormed into the conference room and slammed the door shut behind him.

Red sighed, "Here we go again."

"Red," Myers said warningly. Red just shrugged while Abe leaned against the wall.

"I gave you direct orders and once again you screwed up."

"It was an accident," Red said. "Honest."

"An accident? That's all you have to say for yourself? We had intel that he was experimenting, creating chimeras. We didn't know what they were capable of, what his endgame was or how many chimeras he managed to create. That's why--," Manning pointed at Abe. "Why do you think I brought him along? Huh? To hold your hand? No! I brought him so he could do whatever the hell he does and find out exactly what was going on inside that lab. What did you do? You levelled the whole place!"

Red grimaced, "It wasn't the original plan, but hey, at least the chimeras are destroyed." He noticed Myers pinch the bridge of his nose.

"You know that for sure? How do you know all the chimeras were destroyed? How do you know that there was nothing else, hostile and dangerous, inside that lab that could have got out? You don't! So now I have to order a grid-by-grid search of the surrounding area."

"Or we could just wait for the screams," he glanced around at everyone. Manning and Myers glared back at him. Abe looked heavenward. "It was a joke."

Manning pointed at Red. "You are confined to headquarters and off the case until further notice." He turned to leave.

But Red said, "What? You're going to send me to my room now?" Red was upset too.

He stopped and faced Red again, "No. You know why? I'm not your daddy, but I am your boss so you will stay here and keep your nose out of the case." He exited the room and yelled over his shoulder, "And you can get your own food! The kitchen staff is not at your beck and call."

"Hey, that's fine by me! I didn't even ask for them!"

"Good! I didn't authorise that either!"

Red turned to Myers and Abe to complain but Abe was staring at Myers with surprise. Myers glanced briefly at Red and shook his head. Then he glared at Red.

"So you're making jokes now?"

Red rolled his eyes. "Don't be so uptight. And besides, you know how it is between him and me."

Myers sighed, "Things aren't the same anymore. He's our boss and you can't keep antagonising him. Every time you get benched, it wastes time." Myers exited too.

"Oh, come on," Red turned to Abe, who gave him a heavy look. "What? I didn't say it was a good joke."

Abe shook his head and exited too. Red followed him out. Abe said, "You're lucky you have at least one friend who'll always forgive you."

Red smiled, "Thanks buddy."

"Don't thank me yet. I'll make you earn it."

"Ha! Looking forward to it," Red grinned and threw his arm around Abe.

*

Twenty-four hours weren't over yet and already Red was bored. He sighed, pulled a kitten off his shoulder and went to see Abe. He figured if Abe was too busy to talk, he could always bug Myers.

Myers had got Bruttenholm's office. Red didn't mind; Abe needed the company and Red wasn't going to begrudge him that.

But when Red entered the office and saw Myers chatting and laughing with Abe, he decided he'd rather pick a fight with him. Something about that kid just got him all worked up.

"Hey, I want to talk to you," Red said, trying to sound intimidating.

Myers raised his eyebrows and said, "Yes?"

"Is there some reason you aren't bringing me my food anymore?" Myers opened his mouth to answer, but Red interrupted him and added, "Before Manning said I had to get my own food."

Myers sighed and walked back to his desk. "Yes. I have other responsibilities and duties."

Red nodded and crossed his arms, "And one of them is bringing my food to my room."

"No, that was temporary. Till you were confined to your room. And it was a good way for you and me to get to know one another," Myers said. "Besides, I'm a field agent. I have to keep up my training."

"What?" Red unfolded his arms and put his hands at his hips. "What training? Okay, you're not a bad agent but you work for a department that fights mythical creatures. Whatever skills you have, can't help you here."

Myers rolled his eyes. "That's why I need to keep up my training because I'm your partner and I _can_ help you."

"Ha! Who are you kidding? You're not my partner."

"Ask Abe, if you don't believe me," Myers nodded in Abe's direction.

Red whirled on Abe, who was shaking his head at Myers. When Red caught him, Abe slumped in defeat. "He is your partner. Bruttenholm said so."

Red pointed at Myers. "Him?! What was the old man thinking? He's human and he can go squish." Red looked at Myers and said ominously, "Or splat."

"Red, I appreciate the concern. Really. But the danger to my life is the same even if I was a field agent in another department in the FBI. So why should this be any different?"

"It just is," Red insisted. "You wanna tag along, fine. But you stay back with the others. Got it, Myers?" Red marched out of the office.

*

Turned out Manning was right and one of the chimeras had escaped from the lab. Red was just glad when he was deployed with the other agents.

The chimera was spotted in the middle of the downtown area. It had already caused a lot of damage, chaos and panic. No idea yet on casualties.

Red assessed the situation and knew this one was going to be a pain in the ass. The chimera was right smack in the middle of some of very tall buildings. They didn't have a clear shot at it.

Red looked back at the men. Myers had run back to the van and was fiddling with a gun case. "Right. You guys are on crowd control. I'm going in." Red ran. Myers shouted behind him but Red ignored him.

Red slowed to a walk as choppers flew overhead and Clay ordered the crowd of people to get back.

When Red got close enough to the thing, he stopped. It wasn't a pretty sight. Chimeras never were, the poor bastards. It looked up and began circling him, and Red just knew it wasn't brought into existence by science alone.

Red sighed. Not knowing what powers it had, it was going to be more difficult to kill but as long as it didn't have regenerative or cloning powers, Red could deal with it.

Finally, the chimera let out a roar and charged at him. Red managed to grab onto it but the force of the impact pushed him several feet back. "Shit. Make that a lot tougher."

Red used all of his strength and flipped it. It landed some distance away from him. He leapt at it, punched it with his stone hand and jumped back.

It slowly got up and growled at him. It unsheathed its claws and slowly stood up on its hindquarters. Even hunched, it was a lot bigger than Red. "Oops."

It lunged at him, but Red was ready for it. It still managed to knock Red back on the ground, but Red grabbed hold of its arm. He used his right hand as a shield, and it saved him from the worst of the mauling, but it still managed to claw up his side and leg.

Red tried to throw it off but it was too strong and he couldn't get enough leverage.

Suddenly, a shot rang out and the chimera flinched. It was hit. The chimera turned in the direction the shot came from and snarled. That was all the opening Red needed. He reached up, grabbed its head and twisted it killing the creature.

Red exhaled and pushed the thing off. He sat up and looked around. He spotted Myers on the roof of a nearby building holding a long-range rifle. Myers raised his hand.

"Oh, boy. He's never gonna let it go," Red gave him a thumbs-up and collapsed back on the street.

*

Red had managed to catch Abe alone and was sulking in the office while Abe swam in his tank. "Training, ha," Red complained. "Training secretly. Not telling anyone."

"That's not true," Abe said. "He's been training for many weeks now."

Red glared at his so-called friend and started pacing. "Yeah? He sure didn't tell me."

"I don't understand why you're upset," Abe looked at him through the glass. "We accomplished our mission."

"That's not the point!"

Abe sighed, "Red, we're not the only two people on this planet who are trying to save the world. We're a team. You, Liz--"

"Exactly! Liz isn't here so why are--"

"She will come back, Red. John isn't trying to take her place. You see, we'll be a complete team again." Abe swam in a loop and said, "You weren't this over-protective of Liz."

Red sat down heavily on his chair. "Because she's strong." He sighed, "She's a lot stronger than the both of us, you know. Myers is... He's a kid."

"Well, technically, he's older to you--"

"Arh!" Red started pacing again.

"And you care," Abe smiled.

"Well, don't tell him that!"

"You know, you could protect him a lot better in the field if you worked with him, instead of fighting him. Because he won't give up."

Red stopped pacing. He looked around the office, at all the books, at the old man's desk. He glanced at Abe and said, "Stop being so reasonable."

Abe laughed and swam a circuit in his tank.

*

Red found Myers in the file room. Myers was sorting some things and hadn't noticed him so he cleared his throat. When Myers looked up, Red said, "So. I owe an apology. And thanks."

Myers smiled. He shook his head as he said, "I'm your partner, Red. Neither of them is necessary, but thanks."

Red hesitated. "Look, I know how you were brought in. No one told you anything about this department and they let you find out on your own."

Myers put the files down and turned to face Red completely. "Is that the problem? You think I wouldn't have chosen this if I'd known what I was signing up for?"

Red shrugged and glanced down.

Myers sighed, "Red, I don't care if the bad guys are of this world or not, I want to make sure that no one would harm innocent people and get away with it. I know in my heart that that's what I was born to do and I think the professor was right about my place here. The only reason I'd change my mind is if you truly hated me."

"I don't hate you, Myers," Red assured him. "I told you, you're okay."

Myers smiled. He asked, "So we're okay?"

Red laughed, "Yeah, we're okay." He shook his head and wondered. Myers could save the world in another department, but he wanted to be here. Red wondered again, what the old man knew that he didn't. Red said, "If you're really serious about training, I think we should train together, don't you?"

Myers grinned. He put away the files and stood up, "Yeah!"


End file.
